Are you considering bringing a pet into your classroom? A furry gerbil or mysterious gecko can teach the kids in your class responsibility for meeting the needs of others, increase self-esteem, and encourage nurturing. To help classes benefit from caring for a pet, the Pets in the Classroom organization is providing grants to all teachers who apply and qualify.
Who qualifies for the grant:
1. Pre-K to 9th-grade teachers
2. Educators teaching at a public or private school in the United States or Canada
3. First-time applicants for the 2018-2019 school year
4. Teachers who have previously received a Pets in the Classroom grant are eligible only for the Sustaining Grant.
Grants can be redeemed at certain pet retailers including PetSmart, Petco, Petland, and three others. Check out the following website for more details and information on how to apply: https://www.petsintheclassroom.org/. Applications for this school year will be taken until June 1st, 2019.
The Pets in the Classroom website also provides important resources to help classrooms with topics including handling the death of a classroom pet, lesson plans written by other teachers, and general care sheets for thirteen different animals from tarantulas to rabbits. Reports from the American Humane Association and Pet Care Trust provide supporting data about the benefits of pets to students and you’ll also find a helpful list of organizations, books, and other resources about the welfare of animals.
You and your class will be glad you checked out the website today!